The psychology behind number processing

"5", "five" and "*****" are just the same, aren't they? Well, not exactly: while these symbolic and non-symbolic notations refer to the same magnitude, our brain processes the digit "5", the word "five" and the dot configuration differently. Mila Marinova looks into the psychology behind number processing. Such knowledge can help to make learning mathematics easier for children.

How can we make hearing implants smarter?

A cochlear implant makes it possible for the deaf and hearing impaired to hear well. This is a wonderful invention, but it requires some work to properly set up and keep the device up to date. But Ben Somers has a solution for that!

Why do some children have difficulties walking?

Ever heard of Dravet's syndrome? This rare condition occurs in 1 in 20,000 people and causes problems with walking, among other things. Lore Wyers (UAntwerpen - KU Leuven) is going the extra mile to help children with Dravet syndrome to walk better again. The first 'step': analysing their step pattern.

The social influence of digitale interfaces

Do Google Home, Alexa and Siri have a social impact on our behaviour? Can they encourage us to drive more safely or convince us to exercise more often? That is what Pieter Vanpaemel (Vlerick Business School - KU Leuven) researches in his doctorate.

Can I give you my energy?

People are selling overnight stays in their spare rooms and rides in their car. Then why can't they sell their unused (solar) energy? In her research Ariana Ramos proposes new rules that would enable you as a consumer to trade energy with other consumers.

How to prevent investors from dropping out?

As an entrepreneur it is quite a task to find investors. Through so-called pitching events they can present their company to a group of investors in the hope of convincing them to financially support their project. Zoë Imhof investigates how entrepreneurs are most likely to effectively attract investors and keep them on board.

Informal leadership

Not every leader is a manager, and not every manager is a leader. This is a very simple truth that anyone will agree with. If not synonymous to "manager", then what exactly makes someone a "leader"? And what happens when we have no manager at all, and all we are left with is informal leadership?

Killing viruses by looking away from it

While medicine has come a long way to help HIV-patients, current drugs can't rid these patients of their HIV-infection. The drugs do not cure the infection, but suppress the virus to such an extent that no symptoms of the disease occur. Subha Lakshmi Sharma wants to contribute to finding a complete cure for the virus. Something she hopes to achieve by not looking at the virus itself, but by looking away from it.

HER2 breast cancer: comprehend to conquer it!

Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer for women, affecting 1.7 million women worldwide? In her research Ovia Margaret Thirukkumaran is trying to decipher how cancer cells communicate and develop resistance against drugs in so called HER 2 breast cancer, a very aggressive form of breast cancer.

How do you want to control your recommendations?

Imagine you are listening to music via your Spotify account and suddenly the Dora theme song starts playing because some day earlier you played music for your child or cousin. Sounds familiar? Irritating isn't it? Martijn Millecamp (KU Leuven) investigates ways to give users more control over their recommendations on platforms and services such as Spotify and Netflix.